Being visible
This week is on James 5:13-16:
James' letter is one of my favorite books of the New Testament. He gets right to the point. In these verses, he talks about some spiritual disciplines that will draw you closer to God, and draw you and your fellow Christians closer together. As a side-effect, doing what he describes may also solve your problems.
James lists a bunch of problems that we have, that we tend to keep to ourselves: Being in trouble (like credit card debt, stalkers, getting "downsized", etc) Being happy. Being sick. Being in sin. OK, so maybe we don't keep being happy to ourselves very much, but in some cultures, you do in order not to make others envious.
All of these things should lead to prayer and/or praise. By doing so, we involve God in our daily struggles and victories. If you're in trouble, don't just be in trouble. Ask for help! If you're happy, be thankful. If you're sick, ask for some "holy doctoring." If you're doing what you shouldn't do, but you can't seem to stop, ask for some help in being strong. Don't just sit on these things. If God is truly part of your life, you won't leave him out when the drama comes.
By involving others in your relationship with God, and in your struggles and celebrations, you're participating as part of the body. The body doesn't consist only of you. It's all of us. We get to be Christ's representative to each other. Don't hide under your burden. Share it.
Involving others also helps people not to feel like they're the only ones with problems. A lot of times, someone will ask for prayer for something I thought I was the only one struggling with. Or they'll ask for help with something that is way worse than anything I'm feeling sorry for myself about. It's good to know that you're not singled out for torment and hardship in this world, and that others get struck by lightning just as often.
Even if God had no power on Earth, these things would still be good ideas. He'd get to know us better, and we'd get to know each other better. They would make us stronger. But the fact of the matter is, God does have power. People get delivered from their trouble. People get restored to health. People's hearts are changed, and they quit their sin. Their past mistakes are forgiven. These are all miracles that come from God. We don't access them by clamming up and hoping we somehow develop super powers ourselves. We call out to God for them, and he hears us, and he responds.
James is funny in how he presents all of this. "Are any of you folks in trouble?" "Are there any happy people there?" "Does anyone ever get sick?" "Do people still sin?" Of course every person and group of people has these issues, but you would never know it unless people did what he tells us to do, and confess them to each other. So, enough hiding in the garden...let's get in the light and be seen!
Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make them well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
James' letter is one of my favorite books of the New Testament. He gets right to the point. In these verses, he talks about some spiritual disciplines that will draw you closer to God, and draw you and your fellow Christians closer together. As a side-effect, doing what he describes may also solve your problems.
James lists a bunch of problems that we have, that we tend to keep to ourselves: Being in trouble (like credit card debt, stalkers, getting "downsized", etc) Being happy. Being sick. Being in sin. OK, so maybe we don't keep being happy to ourselves very much, but in some cultures, you do in order not to make others envious.
All of these things should lead to prayer and/or praise. By doing so, we involve God in our daily struggles and victories. If you're in trouble, don't just be in trouble. Ask for help! If you're happy, be thankful. If you're sick, ask for some "holy doctoring." If you're doing what you shouldn't do, but you can't seem to stop, ask for some help in being strong. Don't just sit on these things. If God is truly part of your life, you won't leave him out when the drama comes.
By involving others in your relationship with God, and in your struggles and celebrations, you're participating as part of the body. The body doesn't consist only of you. It's all of us. We get to be Christ's representative to each other. Don't hide under your burden. Share it.
Involving others also helps people not to feel like they're the only ones with problems. A lot of times, someone will ask for prayer for something I thought I was the only one struggling with. Or they'll ask for help with something that is way worse than anything I'm feeling sorry for myself about. It's good to know that you're not singled out for torment and hardship in this world, and that others get struck by lightning just as often.
Even if God had no power on Earth, these things would still be good ideas. He'd get to know us better, and we'd get to know each other better. They would make us stronger. But the fact of the matter is, God does have power. People get delivered from their trouble. People get restored to health. People's hearts are changed, and they quit their sin. Their past mistakes are forgiven. These are all miracles that come from God. We don't access them by clamming up and hoping we somehow develop super powers ourselves. We call out to God for them, and he hears us, and he responds.
James is funny in how he presents all of this. "Are any of you folks in trouble?" "Are there any happy people there?" "Does anyone ever get sick?" "Do people still sin?" Of course every person and group of people has these issues, but you would never know it unless people did what he tells us to do, and confess them to each other. So, enough hiding in the garden...let's get in the light and be seen!
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